Tag Archive | "Randy Edsall"

COLLEGE PARK, Md – The fourth day of practice proved to be a momentous one for a Terps, as BTN was on the scene to capture Maryland’s fourth day of preseason camp at the on-campus practice facility.

“It won’t interrupt anything for us,” head coach Randy Edsall said. “We’ll be just going about our practice and they’ll be filming. It’s nice that they’re here. It’s nice to get that type of exposure and notoriety for our program. We look forward to hosting them and having them here.”

The extra attention didn’t distract from the competition happening on the field. Junior Albert Reid, locked in a four-way battle for the starting running back job, enjoys the balance of competing against and mentoring his fellow position mates.

“I‘m able to balance it. It’s not just coming out and competing with your teammates,” Reid said. “You also have to have that bond with your teammates. It’s not like you can just come out here and play football and then go in the locker room and not talk. To have a great team without building that family bond. Those guys are my family.”

Wes Brown, Brandon Ross and Jacquille Veii join Reid in the fight for carries. The player on the other side of the line witnessing that battle is senior linebacker Cole Farrand. The veteran acts as the quarterback of the defense and relishes keeping his teammates on the right track.

“I have obligations to the team,” Farrand said. “I have to help the freshman. The MIKE’s job is the quarterback of the defense, so I have to have my head on straight. With the core we have and we have a lot of seniors coming back, I think it looks very good on defense.”

As a whole, Farrand sees camp moving in the right direction.

“I think camp is going really well so far. The team is really coming together.”

“I thought we had a better day yesterday. I thought that guys were sharper in what they were doing and picking things up and getting around. The offensive had a lot more enthusiasm yesterday. We still have a lot of things to get better on. Again, get the pads on for the first time and getting used to those things. I’m sure it will continue to get better each and every day.”

On Evan Mulrooney:

“Nothing concrete. He’s in the hospital, but nothing more than what I said yesterday.”

On Levern Jacobs’ absence from full team drills:

“Head coach’s decision. He’ll be out there probably on Saturday doing things. He and the head coach had an understanding on what was happening. He’ll be out doing things full speed on Saturday.”

On Spencer Myers:

“I see a guy that’s got high energy. He’s got a really good motor. He’s relentless and chases the ball. He plays with good leverage. We’ll work to get him some reps with the two’s this weekend in the scrimmage to go up against those guys. I’ve been pleased with him so far.”

On if he’s surprised by Spencer Myers:

“I wouldn’t say I’m surprised because anytime you get involved with someone who has a passion and a want to, to do something, you are going to get pretty good results. He’s talented. He understands competition. He understands leverage. He’s played the game before and he was very successful at it. I think playing that position he’s playing and what he does from a wrestling standpoint. It’s a pretty good relationship between the two.”

On Albert Reid:

“Albert’s another one of those guys who gives you everything he’s got all the time. He’s a guy that’s got a smile on his face. He competes hard. All the qualities you look for in a student athlete he embraces and he embodies. I just love the way the guy competes. He’s tough. He’s hard-nosed. He’s a team guy. He’s one of the guys on our leadership council. You know this; every day you come out here, you’re going to get his best effort and he’s going to do everything he can to not only make himself better but to push other guys to make them better.”

On the running back competition:

“You’re not going to keep four guys happy. That isn’t going to happen. They’ve already been told they’ll be two guys that will be there. Fourth and fifth guy, they’re going to have to make their name on special teams. They know exactly what they have and its great competition out here. We’ve got to get it to two and then there’s a third. That’s all you can have up to practice. The other guys have got to go down and make their niche. They can get on special teams and play anywhere from 20-to-28 plays a game. They know exactly what it is. All of them are doing a great job. You can see that there’s competition. They’re hungry. They want it. But we aren’t keeping four guys happy. There’s going to be primarily two guys, but if we can have one guy, that’s what we want and then a guy who spells that guy You have a third guy that’s going to get minimal reps during the week, but he’ll be ready to go. That’s how we plan to go.”

On the opportunity for Juwann Winfree and other receivers after Nigel Kings’ departure:

“I think it’s an opportunity for everybody. All of a sudden Amba’s [Etta-Tawo] got a little bit more. Even Taivon [Jacobs] and Juwann, all those guys. Again, we try to train these guys where you don’t necessary have to be an X or a Z because we’re trying to get the best three on the field. Sometimes Stef [Diggs] could be a Z or an X. We’re trying to find the best guys that we can. We’ll get a chance to see more of him when we get going. He’s done a good job so far, but again it’s too early to say too much about that until we see him go through the scrimmage on Sunday.”

On Jeremiah Johnson:

“I’m just happy for him to back out here playing at the level he’s been playing at because it’s been over a year. I thought he was a little rusty the first two practices just getting back used to everything because he’s been away from it for a year. He’s a guy that we know can play and play at a high level. It’s good to have him out here and hopefully he can stay out here and get better. He’s competing with Alvin and Will because you can go left or right with either of those guys. Those guys understand that they can play either side. You are going to get the best guys out there you can.”

On Cole Farrand:

“Cole’s a guy that is making all the calls on defense. Getting all the things to everybody else and making the calls and making the checks. He should be and he is playing at a faster level because of his experience and playing in the games. He’s another guy that he’s worrying about another guy or his intensity or his toughness. After last year when you take a look what he played through and did the things that he did, he has the utmost respect of the coaches and the players. It’s good to have a guy who’s played as much as he have and as a senior, it’s hard to believe he’s a senior, it’s gone by so quick, but I’m glad he’s in there. He really helps to hold things together for us.”

On NCAA autonomy ruling for power five conferences:

“How it’ll change us in terms of how we operate we won’t know until legislation is put through and what type of legislation they want to adopt and go with. I think it’s good that we have that. I think its one step closer to the five conferences splitting off. I really do. Again, I think they’re bigger issues now that you have that in terms of who’s going to take charge of what’s best for football. You have this autonomy, but what’re we going to do with that to get the colligate model to get to where it should be or back to where it was in terms of, to me, stop recruiting these kids so early and lets focus and concentrate on the kids that we have on campus. I think that’s what we got away from with recruiting these kids too early. Hopefully we can get back to that with these things and then also give the student athletes the things that they deserve. That’s my whole thing. I want to do anything we can do to enhance their experience and to help them and I think that’s probably the biggest thing from the autonomy standpoint. I think what happens is now the five conferences that have more means than the other conferences can do some things they can do. So again I think this is just going to be another step closer to leading to some separation in terms of some of the division.”

On what he thinks student athletes deserve:

“I’m all in favor of the cost of attendance that they’re talking about. I’m in favor of having the guys on scholarship for four years. I think what’s happened with the scholarship is I think people are telling to remove them from their programs and move them on if they’re not good enough. I think the same thing from a health issue, what they’ve proposed there is all good. I still think we have to sit down and take a look of what is for the betterment of the game when it comes to recruiting and some of the other things that are out there with what is going on.’

COLLEGE PARK, Md – The Maryland football team put the pads on for the first time in preseason camp Wednesday as the Terps continued to fine-tune all aspects of their game in preparation for their season opener at James Madison at the on-campus practice facility.

The offense made big plays throughout the session, with Taivon Jacobs, Stefon Diggs and Amba Etta-Tawo all catching passes down the field from quarterbacks C.J. Brown and Caleb Rowe.

Deon Long, another member of the Maryland receiving corps with big play ability, is returning to action this week after missing the final six games of the 2013 season with a leg injury. Three days into practice, Long is excited about the progress he has made to this point.

“You have to start from square one,” Long said. “All the progress you put in before your injury is sort of wiped out. It’s a clean slate. You’ve got to have the mental toughness to build your strength back up.”

Long competed hard against a defensive unit that has impressed head coach Randy Edsall in the first three days of camp.

“The thing I like about the defense is their camaraderie,” Edsall said. “I like the leadership that they’re bringing to the practice field in the first two days. It’s not just one or two guys. It’s everybody. Everybody is very enthusiastic and holding people more accountable.”

One of those leaders is defensive lineman Andre Monroe. The senior, who tallied a team-high 9.5 sacks last season, is looking to build off an impressive junior campaign.

“I have desire. I learned at any early age that this game is a lot about desire. Then I just use the knowledge and play with instincts, which I think a lot of players overlook. That can take an average player and make them a great player.”

Monroe and his defensive teammates are not the only ones who expect big things.

“The defense is capable of anything,” Long said. “The sky is the limit.”

“I thought practice went pretty well for the defense pretty much the whole time. Offensively we were good up until the 7-on-7 and the team. I didn’t think that was as good as it should be for us. That’s one of the things we talked about with the guys is that we’ve got to finish better. Yesterday was an example for our offense that we’ve got to do a better job finishing.”

On who stood out during summer workouts:

“We had a couple guys that I thought really did a great job this summer. I though all in all we had a really good summer. I thought C.J. [Brown] had a really good summer. He put on some weight and got stronger. The running backs, Wes [Brown], Brandon [Ross], Jacquille [Veii] and Kenny Goins, had a real good summer. Marcus Leak and Taivon Jacobs increased quite a bit. Andy Zeller and Sal [Conaboy], there on the offensive line, [performed well]. I thought the defensive line as a group probably had the best summer of everybody. Keith Bowers is still getting stronger. Malik Jones had a good summer. Quinton [Jefferson] did a good job as well. [Yannik] Cudjoe and Jalen Brooks did well. L.A. [Goree] had a very solid and quiet summer, he’s just a quiet guy, but he really did a good job. Sean Davis had an outstanding summer. Overall, those are the guys that stand out the most. I thought we had a very productive summer overall, but those are the guys that stood out a little bit more than the other guys. “

On how he grades the players in the summer:

“It’s overall, in terms of what they would have increased in vertical jump, squat, clean, bench and just overall effort and intensity in the summer.”

On Andre Monroe:

“He’s very quick. He’s a guy that understands leverage. You’ve got to get really low to block him. Like I said, I think it’s his speed and his quickness off the ball. He’s relentless and because of his height he has a built in advantage going against people. He’s got a good motor.”

On Deon Long:

“Deon’s got to get a lot better. I’m not happy with the way Deon is practicing right now. He’s got to do a better job of finishing on every play and he’s got to be more exact in everything he is doing. Let’s not leave people out of praise right now. Let’s get him back to doing the things he’s supposed to be doing and playing to the level of his talent ability. If he does that than we can start talking more about him.”

On what he attributes to Deon’s performance in practice:

“You’ve got to understand that you’ve got to come out here each and every day. To much who is given much is expected. When you come out here each and every day, you’ve got to do the things necessary in order to be better. Guys that are that far along in their career, you don’t expect to see mistakes, you expect them to come out here and be leaders and give the kind of effort that you would expect one of that stature to do.”

On Marcus Leak:

“He’s getting there. You can tell he’s been away from it. I like the way he’s worked, but his stamina and mental toughness have to get better. We’ve got to get these guys to understand at wide receiver that you’ve got to run hard every play. You’ve got to come off the ball and make people think you’re going to beat them deep all the time. You’ve got to get up in there and you’ve got to block and do those things. If we get those guys to do that, then they might get to living up to the potential they have from a talent standpoint.”

On the defense’s performance:

“The thing I like about the defense is I like their camaraderie. I like the leadership that they’re bringing to the practice field in the first two days. It’s not just one or two guys. It’s everybody. Everybody is very enthusiastic and holding people more accountable. That’s what we’ve got to get on the other side of the ball. We don’t have that on offense. We’ve got to get people stepping up. Defensively, it’s a group that really understands their roles. They understand what needs to be done and you can see them practice with that enthusiasm and that effort. That enthusiasm is what you want to see.”

On Silvano Altamirano’s reps:

“He didn’t get extended reps. He got the same reps he got the day before. He just happened to be with the first team. We’ll find out a little more today as now we get the pads on and you see the lineman really come off and get after it physically which is what you want to see.”

On Nate Adams:

“We’ll find out more today. When you put the pads on it’s different. Now we get the pads on and now you get to see how guys play with the pads on. Some of those guys are fast to the ball when the pads aren’t on, but then when you put the pads on it’s kind of one-step slow. Hopefully we don’t have any of those guys. I’m pleased with what I’ve seen, but again, we’ll evaluate him over the long haul, not just in one or two days.”

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Following a morning walk through, the Maryland football team held its first full practice of the 2014 season Monday afternoon at the on-campus practice facility.

During the two-hour session in helmets, jerseys and shorts, head coach Randy Edsall and his coaching staff focused primarily on individual and unit drills before moving into team and special teams drills. The Terps will add shoulder pads on Wednesday before moving to full pads on Friday.

Maryland returns nine starters on the offensive and defensive side of the ball and 52 letterwinners from last season. The limited turnover in personnel during the offseason should make preseason preparations a little bit smoother for the squad.

“It’s comforting going into the season having the depth and the experience that we have coming back,” said Edsall. “But in terms of what we want to get done installation wise, that hasn’t changed. We have a couple of guys now who understand and know how to practice and how to do those things. That makes it a little bit easier.”

For quarterback C.J. Brown, who is entering his third season in the current offensive system, it’s all about adding to the current scheme.

“I’m very comfortable and a lot of guys are very comfortable,” said quarterback C.J. Brown. Going into my third camp in this system, we are not rebuilding. We are just adding to the foundation.

“We have a lot of potential, but that’s all it is right now is potential. We got to out there on the field and prove it against a lot of new opponents. We are looking forward to the challenge and we are going to be out here every day grinding.”

On the defensive side of the ball, the linebacker position is one of the most experienced units on the squad. Three of Maryland’s four starters return from a year ago including senior Matt Robinson, who ranked fourth on the team in tackles (73) last season after moving from safety. Along with seniors Cole Farrand, L.A. Goree, Yannik Cudjoe-Virgil and a cast several talented underclassmen, the competition at this position should be intense according to Robinson.

“I think it’s great,” said Robinson. “We definitely have a lot of people fighting for positions. I think having to grind every day is going to bring out the best in everyone.”

“They’re all here. We’ll find out about them here in a little bit. They’re for the most part in good shape. It’s amazing how some of the guys fill out from the time that you sign them until now. There are a lot of them that look good. I don’t want to single any of them out. You’ll see for yourself. I’m anxious to see what they do out here. I told them beforehand just to go out here, and we know they’re going to make mistakes, but just go full speed and have fun and learn the playbook. If you learn the playbook and learn all the techniques and fundamentals that go with it, the better your opportunity to show you can get on the field.”

On the practice schedule:

“We have five practices; two in helmets and then two in helmets and shoulder pads and then full pads on Friday. It’s just getting everything installed. Today we’ll do some red zone and start to install all of our base things offensively and defensively and then just continue to through the rest of the week to try and get everything installed by the time that we get around to our scrimmage on practice eight.”

On if Stefon Diggs is fully recovered:

“He has. He’s cleared and 100 percent and ready to go. I know he’s eager to get going again. He’s very focused and very determined. He wants to get back out here and start playing the game he loves.”

On Nigel King’s departure:

“We wish Nigel well. He graduated, which is the number one priority for him. We’ll just wish him well and focus on the guys that are here.”

On the guard and running back competitions:

“It’s no different than where it was at the end of spring because we haven’t done anything. We’ll see how it all plays out and I’m hoping that somebody stands out, just like at running back. I’m hoping that somebody at running back takes the bull by the horn this preseason and says, ‘hey, I’m the starter’ and they separate themselves. That’s what we’re looking for at guard and running back as well.”

On the tight end competition:

“Andrew and Derrick had really good summers. Again, you’d like to have a tight end that can do it all for you, rather than having situational guys. I think that’ll start to shakeout. Andrew had a really good summer and he’s a guy that can give us those opportunities. Derrick is getting better, putting on weight. P.J. didn’t have as good a summer as those guys so hopefully separation will take place early in camp.”

On the tight end, guard and running back competitions:

“Those would probably be the biggest [competitions]. When you look at the depth chart and saw the or’s on there, that’s probably the biggest. But that doesn’t mean something couldn’t happen at the other positions based on people’s ability and what they do out here or lack of production from somebody who was already a starter.”

On Sal Conaboy:

“Sal is very steady. He’s smart and a really hard worker. It’s good to see him get that recognition. He’s got a lot of experience. He’s a guy that’s the leader of our offensive line and a guy that we have high expectations for this year. He understands his role and what he has to do from a leadership standpoint and you just see him getting better and better each year as an offensive lineman and a center.”

“He’s smart. He really understands what’re doing and can make all the calls. The biggest thing that he’s got to do is just get better with his footwork and his technique and hand placement. He’s made strides, but those are things he’s got to get better at.”

On Yannick Ngakoue:

“You can see that he’s had a good summer. He’s worked hard. Now it’s the same thing. I thought we had a good summer. Drew Wilson and his staff did a great job. Our guys are in shape. They’re ready to go and now what we’ll do is see if they can translate what they did this summer, getting bigger, faster, and stronger, and put it to work on the field and do the things they’ve got to do from and productivity and assignment standpoint to show that they’ve made improvement from a mental aspect as well as a physical aspect.”

“He’s gotten better. He has a very good approach to what’s going on. He came in here and thought it might be a little easier than what it was, and he’s matured quite a bit. That’s the biggest thing. He’s matured a lot over the last year and now he understands the process that you have to go through to be good. I think that’s the biggest improvement that he’s made.”

On C.J. Brown

“C.J. has done a good job of understanding everything that goes into it and has a better feel for what we are doing. I think you’ll see he’s just got so much more command and confidence than he ever has. He’s done a better job of being a leader. Those are the things that are important. Again, he’s worked on all aspects of his game but I think the leadership and the comfort with what’re doing offensively is something where he’s really enhanced his game.”

“The biggest thing for him is to be more consistent in everything he does. His accuracy, his decision making and understanding when to pull it down and when to throw it and doing those different things. He’s got a lot more confidence going into this year than he did at this time last year.”

On the limited personnel turnover from last season:

“It’s comforting going into the season having the depth and the experience that we have coming back. But in terms of what we want to get done installation wise, that hasn’t changed. We have a couple of guys now who understand and know how to practice and how to do those things. That makes it a little bit easier.”

The University of Maryland athletic department announced Friday that junior wide receiver Nigel King had been released from his scholarship and will seek a transfer.

“I would like to thank all of my coaches, teammates and the rest of the athletic department staff for their support during my time at the University of Maryland” King said in a statement. “I was able to fulfill my goals of playing college football and, most importantly, earning my degree. After talking with my family, I think it is in my best to pursue a new opportunity. I wish all my teammates and coaches the very best this upcoming season.”

“I am appreciative of everything Nigel was able to accomplish at the University of Maryland and very proud that he earned his degree,” head coach Randy Edsall added. “I wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

King hauled in 33 catches for 450 yards and four touchdowns in his sophomore season, he had nine catches for 125 yards and one score as a freshman.

The North Carolina native was expected to be part of a crowded mix for the Terrapins at the position this season. Junior Stefon Diggs and senior Deon Long are set to return from injuries and re-claim the starting spots. Junior Marcus Leak is very much in the mix after returning to school following a departure last season. Junior Levern Jacobs and sophomores Amba Etta-Tawo, Malcolm Culmer and freshman Taivon Jacobs are all expected to be in the equation at the position as well.

CHICAGO, Ill. – With the start of preseason camp a week away, head coach Randy Edsall and Maryland seniors C.J. Brown and Jeremiah Johnson, and junior Stefon Diggs took part in the unofficial kickoff to the 2014 season with the 43rd edition of the Big Ten Football Media Days Monday at the Hilton Chicago.

Edsall and the student-athletes met with the media and Big Ten Conference television partners for the first time to discuss the upcoming season on day one of the two-day event. The annual event features all 14 head coaches and three student-athletes for each institution.

“We’re very thrilled to be a part of the Big Ten Conference and everything that it represents and stands for,” said Edsall. “We know we have a tremendous challenge that’s ahead of us this year as we enter the Big Ten, but one that we’re really looking forward to.”

One of the challenges Maryland will face this season is preparing for a new set of opponents, a challenge Edsall and the coaching staff have embraced.

“The biggest focus I think that we’ve had to have for us making this move is really just finding out who the other teams are and studying what they do,” said Edsall. “But also what we have to do is make sure that we continue to do what we do and continue to make sure that we get better.”

Big Ten Media Days continue Tuesday with the annual Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon. Fans in attendance will take part in an autograph session with all 14 head coaches and one former player from each school, while current players will take part in brief, live interviews highlighted by questions from fans on-site and through social media channels. The luncheon itself begins at 12:30 p.m. ET.

For over four decades, the Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon has featured some of the biggest names in college football. Legendary players like Desmond Howard, Eddie George, Ron Dayne and Drew Brees, as well as storied coaches like Bo Schembechler, Woody Hayes, Duffy Daugherty and Hayden Fry, have all attended this historic event. In all, more than 850 of the conference’s finest players, over 60 head coaches and nearly 50,000 supporters have made the Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon a yearly stop in their preseason college football schedules.

THE MODERATOR: We’re joined by Coach Randy Edsall. Coach, an opening statement.

COACH EDSALL: It’s a pleasure to be here on behalf of our University of Maryland, our athletic department, and we’re very thrilled to be a part of the Big Ten Conference and everything that it represents and stands for. And I know that the three young men that I brought here today with me have been very, very impressed with what they’ve seen so far. And three outstanding guys that you’ll get a chance to talk to and visit with.

And C.J. Brown, our professional student, who is back for his sixth year, leader of our team as a quarterback, outstanding young man from Pittsburgh who hopefully has all the injuries behind him now. Had a good year last year, and we expect big things out of him this year as we look forward to this season.

We also have Jeremiah Johnson, a young man who is a defensive back for us, that is coming back off an injury from a year ago, fully recovered now, and has been a great leader for our team since he’s been at Maryland and somebody that’s 100 percent healthy now and ready to go.

And then also Stefon Diggs, our wide receiver, a junior wide receiver who has come back off his injury, and ready to go this year and fully recovered and really has done a good job this offseason.

But three outstanding young men. C.J. is into his master’s degree. J.J. has his degree, and Stefon’s doing an outstanding job in the classroom.

Just to give you a little bit about who we are at Maryland and what we’re all about. One of the things that we really believe in, and I think it fits into what the Big Ten is all about, we’re a program that really believes in developing our kids holistically, and that means that we’re going to develop them as students, as athletes, and as people, and to make sure that we provide them with all the things necessary so they can go on and be successful once their academic career is over, athletic career is over. And that’s something that we take a lot of pride in and it’s something that we’re able to attract young men to come to Maryland.

The one thing that we want to do also is we want to be able to win at the highest level and win the right way and to make sure that we’re
providing these young men with opportunities that maybe they didn’t think they could get, but also what we want to do is we want to provide them with better opportunities than what myself and our coaches have had for ourselves.

So we know we have a tremendous challenge that’s ahead of us this year as we enter the Big Ten, but one that we’re really looking
forward to.

We have 10 new opponents that we have to prepare for. So the spring and the summer has been a whirlwind for us as coaches from the
standpoint of getting to know the teams here in the Big Ten that we’re going to be going against and understanding their personnel, understanding their schemes and what they like to do.

But, again, we’re also looking forward to the fact that being a member of this conference, because of what this conference stands for
academically, the collegiate model that it represents in terms of helping the student-athletes grow as students and as athletes. With that, I’ll open it up to any questions.

Q. Have you sought any advice from other coaches about making a move to a new league?
COACH EDSALL: We’ve talked to some of the other coaches, but the good thing for me is the fact that I’ve been involved with this quite a few times in my career, having gone to the Jacksonville Jaguars and the expansion team, going into the league there as an assistant coach, and then also made the jump from 1-AA to the Big East.

So again, the biggest focus I think that we’ve had to have for us making this move is really just finding out who the other teams are and
studying what they do, but also what we have to do is make sure that we continue to do what we do and continue to make sure that we get better.

So that’s been our whole focus is continuing to work on making ourselves better and enhancing what we do, but getting an understanding and getting a feel for all the teams in this outstanding league. And I think we’ve done a good job with that throughout the spring and summer.

Q. I’m not asking you to look past your first game, but your first five. I want you to describe what’s that atmosphere going to be like at your place when Ohio State comes in the first Big Ten home game?
COACH EDSALL: Well, I think it will be electric. I think it will be a sold-out crowd. It will be something that I know our fans are looking forward to. Ohio State is a program with great tradition and history and one that has done very, very well. And it will be something that I think everybody that’s in attendance and everybody that gets a chance to watch on TV wished that they were there, because I think it will be a ton of excitement, one that I know we’re looking forward to as well as all the other games we’re going to play.

Q. Wondering, coming from the ACC, is there a certain type of player that you recruit when you’re in that conference, and is there
another type of player that you have to turn your attention to towards recruiting in the Big Ten now?
COACH EDSALL: The thing that, from a recruiting standpoint, we have a philosophy of who we are offensively and defensively and what we want to do special teams. We’re not going to change the type of young man that we want to recruit to the University of Maryland just because we’re coming to the Big Ten.

We have things that we believe in and what we want to do and all’s we’re going to do is we’re going to continue to recruit that model and
continue to recruit the business student-athletes that we can that fit what we want at the University of Maryland.

And again, we want to recruit the biggest, the fastest, the strongest players that we can in order to give us a chance to be able to compete for championships here in the Big Ten. And the one thing that we have seen by being a part of the Big Ten now is it’s really enhanced our recruiting.

We’ve expanded a little bit from our foothold that we were in, and kids want to be a part of being in the Big Ten in terms of the exposure
that you get through the Big Ten Network. The opportunity to play bowl games in California, Texas, Florida, New York, Detroit, that’s something that’s very, very appealing.

And so again, we’re already seeing those benefits from a recruiting standpoint, but we’re not going to change the model that we have based on maybe what everybody else does.

Q. I asked Coach Flood this question, I’ll ask it to you as well: The move for your two schools came very quickly, it seemed at least
publicly, from one league to the other. From a football standpoint, what was your initial reaction to this and just overall maybe the
story behind the scenes about how quickly this all came about?
COACH EDSALL: Well, I just think it’s an outstanding move for our institution. Not only from a football standpoint, but also from an academic standpoint, to be a part of the CIC and the consortium, those things.

I think everybody’s a winner, and I think that’s what, really, college athletics is all about and what institutions are all about, that everybody benefits from this, not just our student-athletes, but our students in general and our faculty.

And it was something that I wasn’t privy to. I just know that I had a discussion with my athletic director, Kevin Anderson, and he asked me about the possibility — what I thought about the possibility of going to the Big Ten. And I just told him I was all for it. I think it would be a really good move for us and one that I would embrace, and I’m sure that I know our players would embrace, to be part of the history and the tradition and what the Big Ten stands for.

So the thing is, I’m just glad that we’re finally to the point now where we can go and play games. It has been a long time, it seems, to get to this point. But I’m glad we’re here, and I’m glad it’s getting close to August and starting practice and getting the opportunity to compete against these outstanding programs and institutions that we’re going to compete against.

Q. Just curious, your first go-around here with the Big Ten Media Days, did you keep an eye what was going on in Greensboro last week with the ACC Media Days? Was it tough for you to let that go, so to speak?
COACH EDSALL: No. I was in St. Thomas and I was enjoying the heck out of St. Thomas.

So, again, change is inevitable in life, and what you do is you embrace change. And at the end of last season, we pretty much put it forward that this is where we’re going and this is what we have to concentrate on. And this is what our future is.

And, again, I’ve got to make sure that I keep everybody doing those things and looking straight ahead and concentrating on what we have to.

So it’s great to be here in Chicago, to see everybody here and be part of this. It’s really a lot of fun.

Q. Penn State had some success recruiting in your area for those faster, stronger players they talk about. How do you compete against a program that James Franklin brings?
COACH EDSALL: Well, I think when it comes to recruiting, there’s always a philosophy that you have a profile that you’re going to recruit.

And a lot of times, some of those guys that maybe go elsewhere don’t fit the profile that you’re looking for. And we know that we’re in an area where there’s going to be a lot of schools come in and recruit where we’re at. The thing we just stay focused on is just recruiting that profile and recruiting that young man that fits what we’re looking for.

And recruiting is a very competitive, very competitive game, and we’re going to go other places into people’s states and recruit people from there.

So again, I think the biggest thing with recruiting is getting the guys that fit what you’re looking for. And it also comes down to this: I think you have to be a staff that is good at developing those players, because there’s no player that comes into the program as a finished product.

And I think I have a great coaching staff. I know I have a great coaching staff of being able to bring young men in and to be able to develop them and them to be better than what people thought they would be or better than what maybe they thought they could be.

So getting kids on your campus is one thing. But it’s what you do with those kids once they’re on your campus that truly makes a difference in your program. And that’s one of the things that we’re starting to see at the University of Maryland, is we have 20 starters coming back and we have a lot of depth as these kids are getting better.

And to me, that’s the real thing about recruiting. It’s not only getting the kids there, it’s getting them developed and making them better
once they’re in your program and they’re there for the four or five years.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Head coach Randy Edsall announced the addition of former Pennsylvania defensive player of the year Spencer Myers to the 2014 Maryland football roster Wednesday.

Myers, a senior from Selinsgrove, Pa., has been a member of the Maryland wrestling team the past four seasons and will continue to wrestle in conjunction to playing football. Myers will join the team as a defensive lineman.

“This is something I have been contemplating since coming to Maryland,” said Myers. “It was one of the best decisions in my life to wrestle. But an opportunity arose to get a scholarship to play football and it’s something I’ve really wanted to do. It’s a great opportunity for me. I love both sports and I didn’t want to give up one for the other. Luckily, I was able to work it out.”

In his time with the Maryland wrestling team, Myers has won the ACC heavyweight title twice (2011 and 2012) and earned All-American status as a freshman with a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Championships.

A three-sport star in high school, Myers was named the Pennsylvania wrestler of the year and football defensive player of the year as a senior, while also becoming a state finalist in discuss. That same year, Myers won the state wrestling championship at 215 pounds and helped lead Selinsgrove High School to a state title in football.